Google 'breached data protection act' in UK
Google was responsible for a “significant breach” of the Data Protection Act, Britain's Information Commissioner said today.
Christopher Graham said the internet giant broke the law when Street View cars collected personal data from unsecured wi-fi networks.
But he said the company will not be fined or face any punishment after it pledged not to do it again.
Mr Graham said Google must delete the data it collected as soon as possible and will face enforcement action if further breaches take place.
The company now faces an audit of its paperwork and the measures it has in place to adhere to data protection laws.
Mr Graham said: “It is my view that the collection of this information was not fair or lawful and constitutes a significant breach of the first principle of the Data Protection Act.
“The most appropriate and proportionate regulatory action in these circumstances is to get written legal assurance from Google that this will not happen again – and to follow this up with an ICO audit.”
Google sparked an international outcry over claims that it has been spying on people with its Street View mapping cars and technology, recently launched in Ireland.
The company is accused of unlawfully harvesting data including emails, passwords and website addresses during the creation of the popular product.
Last week MPs accused the company of deliberately collecting millions of passwords, websites (URLs) and emails for commercial gain.
Google has admitted collecting information from unsecured wireless networks as its vehicles roamed residential streets to create the mapping product.
The Metropolitan Police recently announced that they would not launch a criminal inquiry.
The decision came after the United States Federal Trade Commission ruled out direct action while registering concerns that the information was collected.
The ICO now has plans to set up a panel of technology experts to advise the watchdog on the changing landscape of protecting privacy.
